The Golden Compass
by Lily Carmen Black
Summary: Stefania is the daughter of a Witch. Her mother is Serafina Pekkala Queen of the Witches. She is sent to Lyra Belacqua to help her find the missing children...
1. Prologue

Prologue

_There are many universes and many Earths parallel to each other. Worlds like yours, where people's souls live inside their bodies and worlds like mine, where they walk beside us, as animal spirits we call daemons. _

_So many worlds. But connecting them all is Dust. Dust was here before the Witches of the air, the Gyptians of the water, and the Bears of the ice.__  
__In my world, scholars invented an Alethiometer - a golden compass - and it showed them all that was hidden._

_But the ruling power, fearing any truth but their own, destroyed these devices and forbade the very mention of Dust. One compass remains, however, and only one who can read it. _


	2. Stefania Pekkala

Stefania Pekkala

Name: Stefania Pekkala  
Age: 100  
Family: Serafina Pekkala (Mother)  
Clan: Lake Enara Clan  
Daemon: Arathorn (Settled)  
Looks: Dark Brown hair and Brown eyes  
Weapons: Bow and Arrows


	3. Lyra Belacqua

Lyra Belacqua

Stefania:

I was on the Gyptian ship of Lord Faa waiting for Lyra the child with the Alethiometer to arrive. I was standing in the shadows of the boat and Lord Faa was sending out orders to the other Gyptians. I turned to see the door open and Ma Costa came through with a little girl.  
"Ma Costa, this is the child."  
Ma Costa pushed Lyra forward.  
"Its alright." she said  
Lyra curtsied at Lord Faa.  
"How do you do Lord Faa." she said

Lord Faa picked up Lyra's hand and held it in his.  
"Hello Lyra. Come and sit by my side." Lord Faa said "This is Fader Coram. And these are the chiefs of the Gyptian families."  
I coughed into my hand and Lord Faa smiled  
"And this is Stefania, Witch of the Lake Enara Clan."  
I smiled warmly at Lyra.  
"You're our guest here and you're under our protection." Lord Faa said  
"Lord Faa, I want to thank you, for keeping watch on me and all." Lyra said "But why did you do it."  
"Lord Asriel, has been a good friend to the Gyptians this many a year and this many a year it had been our charge to bring him news of you as we travel along out ways." Lord Faa said "But you didn't know that did you. And when Mrs Coulter got a hold of you well, we suspected that she had something to do with the Gobblers."

"And she did." all heads turned to Ma Costa "She and them Gobblers took my little boy Billy."  
"Lyra we know your tale all the way up to you ran away and the Costa's found you." Lord Faa said "But is there anything else you can tell us. Is there anything you may have forgot."  
"Don't show it to them." Lyra's daemon whispered but Lyra went into her bag and pulled out an Alethiometer.  
"The Master of Jordan gave me this."  
"I thought that they were all taken by the Magisterium. It's an Alethiometer. It's a truth measure - a golden compass. It enables you to see what others wish to hide... You've got three hands that you can control. By pointing at three symbols, you can ask any sort of question you can imagine. Once you've got your question framed this blue needle points to more symbols that will be the answer." Fader Corum said

"Can it be used to find the missing children?" I asked  
"Not by me. The art was jealously guarded." Fader Corum said  
"Can I try?" Lyra asked  
Lord Faa chuckled Lyra took the Golden Compass.  
"Well the serpent is coming like the Gobblers. And the pot could mean a recipe or a plan. And the baby. That means kids."  
"One thing I do know, Lyra, you mustn't grasp at the answer. Hold the question in your mind, but lightly, like it was something alive."

Lyra closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The compass began to whirl and spin and Dust came off it.  
Finally Lyra said  
"Its and hour glass. But it came around to it on the second time. The first time it only stopped there a moment." Lyra said "On top of the hour glass. There's a skull."  
All the Gyptians turned to me.  
"Oh yes turn to the Witch because she'll know the answer." I said "It's not just your kids that are getting snatched its also the Witches children. And we are not happy."  
I gripped my bow and Arathorn flapped on my shoulder.


	4. The Spy Flies

The Spy Flies

Stefania:

Lyra walked outside with her Daemon Pan at her side.  
"I'll go after her." I told Lord Faa  
I walked out of the door my purple dress showed I was a Witch. I walked over to where Lyra was fiddling with the Golden Compass.  
"Don't worry Lyra." Pan said in Seagull form "We'll find Roger."  
I placed my hand on her shoulder and she looked up surprised.  
"I understand Lyra, to lose someone I mean." I said "A few years ago I had a brother. He was half Witch and Half Human."  
"What happened to him?" Lyra asked  
"He died." I said looking out at the ocean "What I'm trying to say Lyra is that where I lost you will succeed. Don't give up hope."

Suddenly Pan went down and Lyra turned and dropped the Alethiometer. I pulled out my bow but then saw what it was. Two Spy Flies from the Magisterium. One grabbed the Alethiometer and Lyra lunged for it. But the other one got in her way. I kicked with my foot the Spy Fly away from the Alethiometer. Lyra tried to hit the other one with a plank of wood. It flew off. I turned to see Fader Corum place a glass on top of the other Spy Fly.

I grabbed the glass and moved it on to a piece of paper and brought it to Lord Faa. I put it on the table and Lyra watched fascinated.  
"What is it?" she asked looking to me.  
"It's a Spy Fly."  
"Is it dangerous?" she asked  
Fader Corum took the glass of and quickly put an old tin.  
"The one that got away is." Fader Corum said "If you'd were to crack it open. You'd find no living thing in there. No animal or insect at any rate." Fader Corum took a wax seal and melted it over a candle and then proceeded to put it on the tin.  
"There's a clock work." I said "And pinned to the spring of it is a bad spirit. With a sleeping poison in it's sting. That will keep him safe."  
"What was it after?" Lyra asked  
"You Lyra." Lord Faa said  
"Why me?" she asked "Why are they doing this."  
"We don't know. But we Gyptians have been hurt the most by these Gobblers. These child feeders. There taking those children up North. The land of cold and dark. What they're doing with them there we don't know. We have heard terrible rumors." Lord Faa said "Our aim is first to go North and rescue these children, Gyptian, Land and Witches alike. But if they have been harmed I promise you...if they have been harmed there is not a place nor on land, on sea or in sky for these Gobblers. When the time comes to punish we will strike such a blow it will make their hearts fade and fear appear."  
He picked up a pick axe.  
"We will strike the strength out of them. We will leave them broken and shattered." Lord Faa slammed the axe on the table. This was war.

Night soon fell and I was sitting up in the crows nest watch the skies for any Witches to appear. Lyra was down below with her Daemon. I knew that she was safe. Suddenly she turned and I saw a Witch appear. A smile appeared on my face. Mother. But I stayed in the Crow's nest waiting for the right time to see her.

"Who are you?" Lyra asked as Mother put her bow down on the deck to show that she didn't mean any harm.  
"My name is Serafina Pekkala, Clan Queen of the Witches of Lake Enara."  
"A Witch, you're from the same Clan as Stefania." Lyra said "Where's your Daemon?"  
"Kaisa can fly along way from me." Mother said walking towards Lyra "Are you the girl the Magisterium seeks. The one with the Symbol reader."  
Lyra nodded  
Mother smiled  
"Let me see you read it." Mother said "I want to know if you can tell me which of the men on this ship was once my lover. And who is my daughter."  
Lyra pulled out the Symbol reader and fiddled with it. The same time as before she turned to Mother and said  
"Fader Corum." She said surprised  
Mother smiled  
"But..." Lyra asked  
"He was young and beautiful once. We Witches live for hundreds of years. Now who is my daughter?" she asked  
Lyra looked back at the compass and her face looked in shock and she looked up at me in the Crow's nest  
"Stefania." she said  
I flew down and hugged my Mother. Mother turned to Lyra.  
"Fader Corum wants to know where the child cutters take their prey. It is a place they call Bolvangar. The place of fear, Regiment of Tartus with wolf Daemons guards it. Birds do not fly above. Animals have fled. It is a week's march from Trollesund on the coast of Norway. You'll find something to help you in Trollesund. You will need all your courage." Mother said "I'm glad I've lived long enough to see you...child."  
Mother kissed my forehead and walked over to her bow and flew off.


End file.
